


A Traditional Christmas

by tree_and_leaf



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Action/Adventure, Ficlet, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-01
Updated: 2010-02-01
Packaged: 2017-10-06 22:28:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tree_and_leaf/pseuds/tree_and_leaf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose spends a non-emo Christmas in the alternate universe.</p><p>Contains a McGuffin borrowed from <i>The Green Death</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Traditional Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aervir](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Aervir).



"Getting posh, aren't we? We never used to have a real tree!" laughed Rose, as she came into the Tylers' living room on her first Christmas Eve in the new universe. It was the first time since she had been back to her mother's since mid-November – Torchwood had been keeping her very busy, and it hadn't seemed worth going further than her London flat.

"Yeah, well, at least we know it can't get taken over by aliens, like last year" said Jackie cheerfully, then faltered. Rose certainly seemed more settled since the trip out to Bad Wolf Bay in the summer, but her mother was still unsure how she would take reminders of the Doctor. Not that she probably needed reminding.

But Rose didn't seem bothered, luckily. "Good point – looks great, anyway, really classy. Hey – when's dinner? How's the baby?And where's Pete?"

"Not for three hours, but I could do you a bacon sarnie. Baby's asleep, thank God, and Pete's in the den watching a film. Dunno what he sees in 'Jack Straw', but I think it's sort of like this universe's James Bond. Only more rubbish, from what I've seen, but what do I know? Everyone here seems to be glued to them when they come on."

"Oh well, I brought you something for the tree" said Rose, shrugging it off.. "Supposed to be alien, mind, but it doesn't do anything but hang on a string and look pretty. From a place called Metabelis III – some bloke gave it to UNIT, and it somehow ended up unloved in one of our evidence lockers. For about forty years, so I don't think anyone'll miss it."

She passed a badly wrapped parcel over to Jackie, who tore the paper off with a slightly suspicious reluctance. The blue crystal inside, however, was undeniably pretty, and didn't seem dangerous.

"Aw sweetheart, that's lovely. I must just go and show Pete."

Rose followed her into the den, where an action film was blaring in surround sound, and a man who bore a passing resemblance to Pierce Brosnan was waving a gun around in a manner that no longer quite convinced Rose. Pete really did look absorbed in the film, positively slack-jawed. "Look what Rose brought us, darlin'" said Jackie, enthusiastically, and held up the blue crystal for Pete to see, inadvertently blocking Rose's view of the screen, except for a corner, distorted through the stone.

Distorted – what? "Give me that a mo', mum" said Rose, took it gently from her, and squinted through it at the screen.

Over the features of the not-quite-Bond, she saw words: "People of earth, you will welcome us when we come, you will make no resistance, you will not adjust your set…"

Rose sighed. There were some Christmas traditions she could definitely do without.

"Er, Mum, I'm going to have to go back to the office. Don't wait dinner… And don't let Pete come after me. Best keep him out of this one."


End file.
